Significant Differences In Printer Ink Refills And OEM Ink
The difference between printer ink refills and OEM ink (Original Equipment Manufacturer) is something that is often hotly contested amongst individuals and corporations. Naturally, manufacturers claim that their ink is significantly superior to any third party option, while many home and office users only see a difference in cost, not quality. It is interesting to note that many large companies make around 50% of their profits from the repeated sale of their ink cartridges. They drastically lower the prices of their printers, thus selling more printers, and make up their profits by continued resale. On the other hand, they also spend a lot of money on research to ensure that their ink is of better quality than any third party refill.
Reports commissioned by HP claim that their originally manufactured ink prints 34.7% more than European made printer ink refills. The study also claims that HP cartridges have a lower rate of failure than third party refills. Companies like HP and Epson claim that third party ink can cause clogging and other problems and that it is not completely compatible with their cartridges. Despite these (mostly unfounded) claims, they have not been able to prove a significant difference in the actual print quality.
On the other hand, there are many large manufacturers of printer ink refills, who claim that their refurbished cartridges undergo stringent quality checks, and the ink has been tested to be compatible with the respective printers. However, it has to be said of OEM ink that it is superior in construct and has a more reliable result. Although the print quality difference between these two options may be negligible in most cases, refill ink is claimed to have a higher rate of failure than original.
The most significant difference between these two types of ink is the cost. Printer ink refills can be as much as 70% cheaper than their originally manufactured counter parts. This is because the cost of OEM ink includes the cost of the expensive cartridge. Most manufacturers do not reuse these cartridges, claiming quality problems, although studies have found that these cartridges can be refilled 5-20 times, and a brand-new cartridge is not always necessary.
The business model of many manufacturers (to make profits almost entirely from refills) has come under fire by trust busters, and several states are passing laws to ensure that printers can be refilled without any restraint from corporations. While there can be a difference between OEM and ink refills, with high quality ink refills, there is really no noticeable difference in the quality of the print, except in the case of photos. Overall, high quality refills will give similar results to OEM ink, at a very affordable price.